


Honey, Honey

by grrriliketigers



Series: Slow Dancing in a Burning Room [3]
Category: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-03
Updated: 2013-04-03
Packaged: 2017-12-07 09:07:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/746769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grrriliketigers/pseuds/grrriliketigers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Andy's dropping weight at an unhealthy pace and Miranda's concerned about her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Miranda bit her lip. She had watched Andy clear the dishes from dinner and Cassidy and Caroline had washed and dried them and put them away. Miranda wanted to talk to Andy but Andy had whirlwinded out of the townhouse to interview an informant and left Miranda alone in the foyer.

She walked up the stairs and poked her head into Cassidy's room where the twins were doing homework. 

"Hey, what's up?" Caroline looked up.

"I want you two to know that there will be no eating disorders in this house, do you hear me?" Miranda frowned, "the models in the magazine, they're just models, they're unhealthy and it's an unrealistic ideal."

The girls watched Miranda with confusion. Caroline raised an eyebrow in confusion. Cassidy sighed and put her pencil down, "is this about Andy?"

"Yes." Miranda furrowed her brow and frowned. 

"Come in and sit down." Cassidy abandoned her books on the floor and sat on her bed. Caroline followed suit.

Miranda sat on Cassidy's desk chair. 

"She's dropped a lot of weight." Caroline nodded. 

"She looks a little sallow." Cassidy added.

"But she keeps shoveling food into her mouth. She's been eating so much at meals." 

"You need to talk to her about it." 

"I'm afraid that it's my fault." Miranda admitted. "I'm afraid that she thinks that's what I want."

"It's kind of what you wanted from her when she worked for you." Caroline shrugged.

"She was defiant. I wanted to break her. I'm not proud of that." Miranda bit her lip. "I don't want her to think that I want her to change herself. I don't want you two to ever feel that I want you to be something you're not."

"Mom, we know." 

"I love you both so much."

"Mom, _stop_."

"I wouldn't change you for anything in the world."

"You're supposed to be the devil incarnate, act like it." Cassidy protested with a smirk.

"I'm going to hug you first." She stood up from her chair and hugged both of her girls in turn and kissed their foreheads, "now do your homework, you little ingrates."

They grinned. "Love you too, mom." 

Miranda turned and left the room. 9:32 pm. Andy was always very good about her estimations, worlds better than Miranda could ever hope to be. Two and a half hours to go.

She sat down heavily into her chair in her study. She put her glasses on and picked up The Book. She looked with disdain at the stick-thin model on the front. She wondered which anorexic covergirl, which photoshoot, which offhand story about incompetent models who couldn't pull off Miranda's precious couture, made Andy think she needed to change herself. 

Miranda was wracked with guilt the likes of which she'd never felt. 

Sure, there were things that caused her pangs of guilt but Miranda felt that almost all of her other decisions were justified. She ran away from her home at sixteen, leaving her mother alone with her three young siblings. Her destiny was elsewhere and not wasting away in The Middle of Nowhere, Cornwall, England. She walked away from her first marriage without looking back. She'd left her husband on his death bed. He'd clutched her hand and told her to go. She was all too grateful for the permission and knew she would have walked away regardless. She divorced her second husband, despite her misgivings about what the divorce would do to the twins. In the end she knew that if she were happier, her girls would be happier. On July 12, 2000 at 10:42 in the morning, the New York City Family Court granted the joint custody. She'd even screwed Nigel over, one of the few people she'd actually have called a friend. He understood, she knew that. He was young and well liked and he would have another chance. Miranda needed to cling fast and hard to what she had, the empire she'd built. If she was forced into retirement she would fade away into obscurity, the streets would flood with choruses of Ding Dong the Witch is Dead. That's how she would feel if she was not allowed to work anymore: dead. She'd also almost lost Andy forever.

Those were the highlights of the things that Miranda felt a modicum of guilt about. 

This was just too much. She went through the motions, going through the pages of the Book, marking up inadequacies and blatant idiocy. She refrained from commenting on the models too much. 

She reached the end of the Book and realized that she hadn't retained anything she'd read for the last half of the Book. She sighed and flipped through the pages, at least her own Auto Pilot knew how to make notes.

She yawned. She was fading fast. She looked at her watch, 11:43 pm. She never tired that early. Guilt must be tiresome. 

She needed to be awake when Andy returned. They needed to have the conversation as soon as possible. Miranda would be damned if she was going to let a little thing like the need to sleep deter her from reassuring Andy that she was perfect.

Coffee was definitely in order. She trudged downstairs and into the kitchen. The marble floors were cold and her feet recoiled at the harsh temperature. 

She reached for the coffee pot when her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She jumped. She was sure she'd left it on her desk. God, she was really far gone. She put the receiver to her ear, "Miranda." She murmured.

Andy's delicate laugh floated through the phone and Miranda smiled, letting her eyes flutter shut. "I hope I didn't wake you."

"No, no. I'm waiting for you."

"If you're sleepy you should go to bed. That's kind of why I called. My editor wants me to write up the story so it can get into the afternoon edition." 

"No, tell your editor you have to come home because Miranda Priestly said so."

Andy laughed again. "I'm really sorry, you know how much I hate letting you sleep by yourself." Andy cooed into the phone. 

Miranda sighed, leaning tiredly against the counter with her hand on the coffee canister. 

"I'll be home before you have to leave for work."

There was a pause before Miranda asked, "promise?"

"Promise." Andy confirmed.

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Miranda." 

"No, really, I mean it. I love you with my whole heart. I _really_ love you." 

"I know you do, beautiful. Go to sleep and I'll be there to kiss you before you know it."

Miranda sighed again, "I'll see you in the morning. Don't overwork yourself."

"Sweet dreams."

Miranda slid her phone shut and sighed heavily. The conversation would have to be put on hold. Again. She knew she'd already put it off longer than she ought to have.


	2. Chapter 2

Miranda laid in the bed and stared up at the ceiling. God, her whole body was exhausted but her brain tiredly trudged on, going through everything she'd ever said to Andy. It was awful, it was pathetic, it was pitiful.

She turned over onto her side and squeezed her eyes shut defiantly, willing herself to just fall asleep, for fuck's sake! 

She gasped and shot up in bed when her alarm clock blared at six. She put her hand over her heart, closing her eyes. Clearly she'd fallen asleep, but she didn't feel at all rested. 

She sighed heavily and with much frustration. 

Miranda stood in the shower and let the water cascade over her body. At least one thing felt right. It felt right to stand in the shower and feel the hot water rolling over her curves and the steam rising around her. 

Once the shower was shut off, she shook out her short white hair and watched it fall across her face. She'd kept her hair short and white washed since the twins were six and this year they would be 17, she could scarcely believe it. 

Miraculously, she thought, she still hadn't really had an age crisis. Perhaps it was true that you're only as old as you feel. Apart from her snow white hair and a few soft creases around her eyes and lips she didn't really show her age. Andrea, in fact, who smiled twice as often as Miranda, had smile lines just as deep as Miranda's own. 

She toweled off, pulled on a thong and a bra and stepped out into the bedroom. She looked at the clock. 6:32 AM. She pulled on her clothing for the day and knocked on the twins' doors, drawing them out of their slumber and downstairs for food.

Miranda's coffee pot gurgled loyally, set to steep at 6:30 every morning, if Miranda heard the familiar gurgle as she entered the kitchen, she knew she was right on schedule. She poured a cup and the twins dashed down the steps and grabbed cups of their own. 

Their school uniforms neatly pressed and their hair pulled back, backpacks slung over one shoulder. They looked so grown up and Miranda had to fight the urge to get sentimental. 

"Breakfast." Miranda said pointedly.

They both groaned, " _you_ don't eat breakfast… We're not hungry yet, mom." Cassidy protested, speaking for them both, as was customary since they'd learned to speak. 

"Breakfast is important," Miranda was prepared to launch into the whole speech again. She sighed, "take fruit with you and promise me you'll eat it."

They nodded. As an employer, Miranda was a stone cold dictator who ruled with an iron fist, but as a mother, she was nothing if not reasonable. 

To her surprise and pleasure, they each took two pieces of fruit out of the basket on the counter. "That's my girls," Miranda smiled.

The three Priestly women sipped their coffee. 

"Talk to Andy yet?" Caroline finally asked, looking up from the brown liquid that sloshed in the designer mug.

"No." Miranda said curtly. "She didn't come home last night."

"What?" Cassidy looked concerned.

Miranda scowled and shook her head, "she called me and said she was working late and that she'd see me in the morning before work."

Caroline glanced at the microwave clock. 6:47 AM. "She doesn't have much time."

Miranda tried not look at the clock, she just sighed inwardly and hid her face in her coffee again.

The girls’ beepers went off alerting them that their driver was outside. They set their mugs in the sink and kissed Miranda’s cheeks. “Have good days, my darlings.” Miranda said.

“Bonne chance.” Cassidy said and quirked a small, encouraging smile. 

Miranda’s driver would arrive any moment. No matter, she thought, he was more than used to waiting and accommodating her whims. He was either a very loyal, patient employee or a time bomb waiting to explode. 

The phone rang. Instead of being Carl, like she’d expected, she saw that is was Andrea. She put the phone to her ear, she paused before answering, “hi sweetie.”

“Miranda, I would like to start out saying how apologetic I am. I won’t be done here for another couple of hours.” 

“Have you been awake this whole time?” Miranda asked with concern.

“I took a nap.” Andy answered brightly. 

_Probably got one tenth of the sleep that I got and she’s still more awake than I am. Though she’s probably running on three times as much caffeine…_

“I can wait for you.” Miranda said stubbornly, “they can survive one morning without me.” 

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Andy dismissed, “you have the run through this morning.”

“The run through isn’t until tomorrow.”

Andy laughed, “we both know you’re moving it up to today.”

Miranda frowned. Andy was right, of course, she could read her like a book. Her silence reassured Andy that she was right.

“I only know that because you’re trying to smoosh as much as you can into today so that you can go to the twins’ science fair tomorrow night without thinking about work.” Andy switched the phone to the other ear, “that’s partly why I’m still here working, too. I’m just as excited for their project as you are.” 

“They’ve come a long way from you painting a diorama of the solar system.” 

“Hey, I also put glitter on those suckers.” 

“Andrea, I miss you and I want you to come home.” Miranda said firmly.

“Miranda, this could be my big break. I think a promotion is in my future. I just need a couple more hours and you should go to work and I promise, absolutely promise, bet my life on it, promise that I’ll see you when you get home.” 

“Of course I want you to do well at work.” Miranda said with a slight pout. “Okay. Alright. I’ll see you when I get home tonight.” 

“Still love me?”

“Of course.” 

“Have a good day, Miranda.”

“You too, Andrea.” Miranda said softly, “good luck.”

At 8:45 that evening, Miranda pushed open the front door and threw her purse and jacket into the closet. It had been a very long day. 

The twins crept in from the sitting room. “She’s upstairs.” Caroline said. 

“We all had dinner and she was shoveling it in like she’s been doing.” Cassidy continued.

“We put our ears to the door and stuff and we didn’t hear her throwing it up or anything.” Caroline reported, “maybe she’s doing the diet pill or something.”

“Yeah, but anyway, she went upstairs because she’s pretty wiped.” 

“Thank you, my loves.” Miranda touched their faces, their scotch-Irish heritage showed in them with a vengeance. “Are you excited about the science fair?”

“Kinda.” Caroline shrugged. 

“Maybe just a little.” Cassidy glanced at her sister out of the corner of her eye. 

Miranda could tell that they were much more excited than they were willing to let on. And why shouldn’t they be? Colleges were going to be represented and good ideas could earn a scholarship. She was pleased that the girls had chosen to be partners instead of rivals. On their own they each stood a chance but together, she reckoned, they were an unstoppable force. 

“I’m rather looking forward to it, myself.” Miranda admitted, “so is Andrea. You have our curiosities thoroughly piqued.” 

Miranda pushed open the bedroom door at 8:57PM. Andy smiled sleepily up at her from her side of the bed. She did look quite sallow, the bags under her eyes were dark and she looked as if she were ready to fall into a hundred year sleep.

“Hi,” Miranda said softly.

“I missed you.” Andy whispered back. 

“I think we have to talk about something sweetie.” Miranda decided to just lay it all out there before she lost her nerve. 

“Oh?” Andy asked from the bed. “What about?”

“I’ve noticed you’ve lost a lot of weight recently.” Miranda stepped into the closet and put her earrings into her jewelry tray. “And I don’t want you to think that’s what I want, because I don’t. I think you look better a size six and I know that as a fashion dictator that sounds contrived but I really do. I think you were perfect just the way you are. Andrea, are you taking diet pills?”

Miranda stepped out of the closet, she’d wanted to get the first spiel out without having to look directly at her, she needed to say what she’d been thinking without seeing Andy’s emotional reactions, lest she be deterred. 

Miranda looked at Andy, she was slumped over the pillows. “Andrea?” She sat down on the bed and gave her shoulder a gentle shake, “Andrea, I know you’re tired but this talk is long over due, can we please talk about this?”

Andy didn’t move.

“Andrea?” Miranda touched her face, “Andrea, wake up!” She put an arm under Andy and tried to prop her up and her head lolled back. 

“Andrea!” She shrieked in a panic, “please, wake up!” 

The twins rushed into the room, “mom, what’s wrong?”

“Call 911, Andrea passed out and I can’t wake her!” Miranda ordered. The twins ran out of the room again and Miranda turned back to Andy. “Please, dear God, Andrea, wake up.”


	3. Chapter 3

"We called for an ambulance, mom." The twins ran back into the room. 

"Good, now go to bed. It's late."

"What? Are you kidding?" Cassidy demanded, "Andy's sick, we can't _sleep_!"

"She's going to be _fine_ , but she's going to be very disappointed if she doesn't go to your science fair because you two were too tired to present." Miranda glared, though her voice shook. " _Go to bed_."

The twins stood there staring at Miranda before they realized she wasn't about to back down. 

The redheads retreated slowly. Miranda turned back to Andy, her eyes wet with tears that were beginning to slide down her cheeks. "You'd _better_ wake up." Miranda ordered firmly, "do you _hear_ me?!"

Sitting in the ambulance next to Andy, Miranda gripped her hand tightly. 

"I need you to let go." One of the paramedics put a hand on Miranda's back.

Miranda's head snapped up, her eyes widened, "what?"

"Of her hand, we need to put an iv in." 

Miranda slowly released Andy's hand and was shocked to feel how badly she was shaking. She looked back down at Andy's hand and saw that she'd been gripping her so hard that her fingernails had dug into the skin.

Miranda closed her eyes and fresh tears fell. She leaned her head against Andy's and sobbed silently. 

At the hospital Miranda was secluded to the waiting room. The magazines all looked filthy and they didn't have one fashion magazine. Miranda scarcely wanted to touch the furniture, she imagined they used up all the disinfectant in the actual hospital rooms and left the waiting areas grubby and awful. 

She'd have to speak with someone about that if her heart ever stopped pounding.

 _If anything happens to my Andrea..._ she thought, with resignation, _I will never forgive myself. It will be all my fault. My poor beautiful Andrea, struck down in the prime of her life. How cruel!_

Miranda stood from the couch, where she'd been sitting on her jacket, which would have to be donated to a homeless shelter at that point. She walked, impatiently, over to the help desk. "You." She snarled.

A bored 20-something looked up from the computer screen, popped her gum and glared at Miranda, hoping to deter her. When it was clear that Miranda would win that battle she sighed heavily, "can I help you?" 

"I need an update on Andrea Sachs." 

"Lady? Did you see anybody in a white coat walk into this room? I mean, what do you think? I got a direct line with the doctors? They tell me everything?"

Miranda's nostrils flared, "go _get_ me an _update_ on _Andrea Sachs_!"

"Shit, lady, they don't pay me enough for this."

Miranda sucked a mighty breath into her lungs, prepared for an epic tirade, when a woman in a white lab coat broke through the tension. "Are you the woman who came in with Andrea Sachs?"

"I am, yes!" Miranda turned her attention to the doctor, her heart racing even faster. Scared to death there would be bad news. 

The woman took in Miranda's panicked features and put a calming hand on her shoulder, "she's going to be just fine."

Miranda felt her eyes well with tears and her knees buckled. She had to reach other and grab the woman's arms for support. "Thank god..." she breathed.

The doctor helped steady Miranda with understanding hands. "She's going to be okay but she's diabetic." 

"What?" Miranda narrowed her eyes, "no, she's... she's not... she's..."

"It's type two diabetes, it used to be called adult onset diabetes, she needs to keep track of her blood sugar, many people live full lives with diabetes. She might be a little groggy, but she should be awake now if you want to see her."

"Yes, _God_ , yes!" 

"I'll take you back." 

Miranda stood in the doorway, her eyes filled with tears again as she looked in at Andy. Andy smiled weakly at Miranda. 

Miranda let out a relieved sob and rushed forward. She pulled the chair up to the bed. She took Andy's hands and kissed them gratefully. "I was so scared." 

"You think you're getting rid of me that easily?" She whispered hoarsely.

"I thought you were taking diet pills. I thought you were... I thought that... god. I love you so much." Miranda buried her face in her shoulder. 

Andy kissed Miranda's forehead and ran her fingers through her short white hair and then laid her head against Miranda's. "I love you too."


End file.
